Guided Buggy Ride, Meal

Overview

This Punta Cana outing from Runners Adventures packs two very different experiences into one day: a jungle buggy drive on unpaved terrain, followed by a guided visit to Monkeyland, an enclosed five-acre monkey park where squirrel monkeys come right up to visitors. The whole thing runs about 7.5 hours door to door, with hotel pickup and drop-off included, and it is offered in English, Spanish, German and French.

The day starts with a safety and driving briefing. The buggies are described as easy to handle, and the route deliberately crosses muddy, puddled ground, which one reviewer said made the ride even better. After the drive, there is a stop at the Casa del Coco, a coconut house where visitors see how coconut oil is made and taste fresh organic coconut products. Next comes the Monkeyland portion, a guided 45-minute walk in the jungle, watching and in practice feeding the monkeys, which reviewers describe as cute and trusting, with one traveller getting up close to over a dozen of them. A Dominican buffet lunch is included, and it gets unusually warm praise in the reviews, with one traveller calling it the best meal of their entire trip.

It suits families with school-age children, couples and groups who want a combination of driving, animals and food in a single booked day. Anyone who wants a long, scenic buggy route should temper expectations: at least one reviewer felt the drive circled rather than explored.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Hotel pickupPickup and drop-off at the hotel are included. One reviewer noted pickup happened in the lobby rather than at the security gate.
2. Buggy briefingGuides cover safety and how to drive the buggies, which the operator describes as very easy to handle.
3. Jungle buggy rideDrive the 4x4 buggies through jungle terrain, mud and puddles. Some reviewers found the ride a little short and the group large.
4. Casa del CocoA stop at the coconut house to see how coconut oil is produced and to taste fresh organic products. One reviewer felt this part doubled as a sales stop for widely available goods.
5. Monkeyland guided tourA guided 45-minute walk through the tropical jungle on a five-acre property, watching, feeding and photographing the squirrel monkeys.
6. Dominican buffet lunchA buffet lunch is included in the tour price and is praised repeatedly in reviews.
7. Hotel drop-offReturn transfer to the hotel is included.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points come up again and again in reviews of this tour, and they are worth knowing before booking.

• Bring sunglasses. The listing asks drivers to bring a driver's license, and reviewers strongly recommend sunglasses for the buggy section.
• Expect mud. One reviewer said the mud made the buggy ride even better. The tour runs rain or shine, so conditions vary with the weather.
• Group feel. Leave some slack in the day.
• Photos cost extra. Professional photos are not included in the price. Reviewers note you can take your own pictures and video at Monkeyland, or buy the pro shots separately.
• Lunch is a highlight. The included Dominican buffet gets repeated praise, with one traveller still talking about the chicken afterwards. Water bottles are also included.
• Tipping. Gratuities are not included. One reviewer mentioned that tips came up a few times during the day but said they never felt pressured.

Common issues. The honest complaints are consistent. The buggy portion can feel short and crowded, and one reviewer said the route went around in circles rather than through varied scenery. Photos are sold separately, and one reviewer felt this was an unwelcome extra cost on top of the tour price. The Casa del Coco stop includes product sales, which one reviewer considered filler. One reviewer who booked in German reported getting an English-speaking guide only, despite the listed languages.

Common Questions